Game apparatus.



PATENTED APR. 25, 1905.

A, GROSS. GAMB APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 16. 1904.

Patented April 25, 1905.

ANDREW GROSS, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

GAME APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 788.101, dated April25, 1905.

Application filed January 16, 1904. Serial No. 189,256.

Be it known that l, ANDREW Gnoss, a citizen ofthe United States,residing in New York city, (Manhattan) county and State of New York,have invented a new and useful Improvement in (iame Apparatus, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention has relation to improvements lin games of that classwherein a checkered board is utilized in conjunction with blocks ofparticular' shape or construction, upon certain surfaces of which aredelineated representations of playing-cards, as will be hereinafterfully and specificallyv set forth.

l have fully and clearly illustrated the improvements in theaccompanyingdrawings, to be taken as a part of this specification, andwherein-- Figure 1 is a plan view of a checker-board and theplaying-blocks arranged thereon preliminary to beginning the contest.Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the blocks with the delineationsindicated on the top and side, and Eig. 3 is a perspective view showingthe delineations as they appear when the block is turned around on itsvertical axis.

The checker-board is a square piece of material of any superficial areaas may suit it for the purposes intended and has produced thereon afield of sixty-four squares in alternate colors similar in arrangementto that seen in boards upon which the game of checkers is played.

f/ designates the pieces with which the game is played. Each piececonsists of a block of suitable material formed into a rectangularprism, the base and top being of less area than the sides of the block,substantially as seen in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, so that whenplaced on any square the base will not cover the whole of the square onwhich it stands and contestants can readily detect the movement of apiece to a square on which it is not entitled to stand. On two oppositefaces of each piece or block and on the top face thereof are placeddesignations portraying a card of a particular kind and value. Asillustrated,

the values of the pieces run from the ace (the highest) down to anine-spot (the lowest) in sequence and involve or include the foursuitsused in a pack of playing-cards. It will be perceived that by making thepieces oblong and indicating the card values on the surfaces facing thecontestants and on the upper ends the values of the portrayals arealways plainly visible to both and confusion and mistakes not liable toarise during the progress of a game.

Preliminary to the game the board is placed with a block corner-squareof the first row at the right hand of each player. '.lhen the blocks areplaced in positions indicated in Fig. lof the drawings -that is,starting with the left-hand corner-square an ace is placed thereon. Thenon alternate squares the kings are placed, and then the other ace isstationed on the square next adjacent to the corner. The next or secondrow of blocks is stationed on alternate squares, with the queensoccupying the outer positions and the knaves the inner squares, asshown. the pip-card representations are placed on alternate squares tothe queen row with the ten-spots on the outer squares and their suitsintermediate and adjacent thereto` and in this position the playersproceed with the game.

To play the game, a selected block of the third row is moved forwardonto one of the two diagonally-adjoining squares and continuing thismethod of movement throughout the play, except when capturing ay piece.Either player can capture any adj oining block of the opponentarrivingoppositcto his block by jumping over it; but while a block or piecerepresenting a card of greater value can capture a block representing acard of less value the reverse is not the case. Thus a king can capturea queen, but a queen cannot capture a king. That player is the winnerofthe game who succeeds lirst in landingI four of his pieces upon thefour correspondiugly-colored squares of the last row ofsquares of theboard.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is--- A set of piecesor blocks, consisting of a plu- Then the blocks with` ralityof blocksformed of rectangular prisms, tan,) New York, this 15th day of January.arlid each biolek having lcard delineations on 1904. t e front anc' therear sic es anc on the top face thereof, and the delineations portrayedon any ANDREW (IROSS 5 single block being identical in value with eachother.

Signed by me at New York city, (Manhat- Vitnesses:

WILLIAM SCHULZ, FRANK V. BRIESEN.

